Bernard w



Patented sept. 14,1897.

mamada.)

B. W. KARST. MATCH BOX 0R SAFE. No. 589,835.

I uw UNITED STATES PATENT BERNARD W'. KARST, OF IIARLANSBURG, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OI? ONE-HALF T O GEORGE E.`l\IILLER, OF SAME PLACE.

MATCH BOX OR SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,885, dated September 14, 1897'.

Application led March 6, v1897. Serial'No. 626,311. (No model.)

To @Z5 whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, BERNARD W. KAasT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harlansburg, inthe county of Huntington and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match Boxes or Safes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled `in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany# ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to' match boxes or safes, and has for its object the provision of improved means for effecting automatically the delivery of the articles singly to the user.

The nature of my invention will be fully apparent from a reading of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a match box or safe embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional viewof the same with the parts in the position they as sume when in the act of delivering a match. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view of the same with the parts in the position of rest.

Referring to the said drawings by letter, A denotes the casing of the box or safe, which is provided with the rear extensions a 0 by which the device may be securely fixed to a wall or other upright. In the front of the casing is a delivery-opening a. Vithin the casing is a vertical partition l), dividing the same into two compartments, in the forward one of which is arranged the means for effecting the delivery of the articles. Said means consist of a picker c, pivotally secured to a vertically-movable follower d, which follower and picker are lowered by gravity and raised by hand through any suitable device, preferably in the nature of a cord c, which is secured at one end tothe follower and is passed overa sheave e, mounted in bearings on the under side of the top of the casing, and is thence passed downward through the rear compartment and out through the base of the casing, where it is provided with a handheld c2. The follower dis provided with guidelianges d, which cooperate with the walls of thel casing and the partition to insure its proper movement.

The picker c carries at its lower end two spring-lingers c c), which are separated to an extent slightly less than the diameter of a match. `The iin gers are preferably constructed of a single strip of metal, the ends of which are flattened, said strip being passed through a perforation in the picker, as shown, and bent downward at each side of the lower reduced end c2 of the picker. Said end c2 terminates-short of the finger ends and forms with the latter a recess of a size sufficient only to receive a single article. The picker, as before stated, is pivotallysecured to the follower d, and its upper end c3, which is beyond the pivotal point, is cam-shaped, for a purpose to be presently explained.

Secured to the partition b is a trip f, which projects in the upward path of the camshaped end c3 of the picker, and below said trip fis a second trip j, which is without the upward path of said end c3, but within the downward path of the latter, the picker in its travel assuming different positions, as will presently appear.

The bottom g of the forward compartment is hopper-shaped, and at the base of the hopper is a depression g', into which the matches which are contained in said compartment find their way. In the inner side of the recess g and in the path of the lower end of the picker is a recess g2.

The operation is as follows: The forward compartment is supplied with matches,which rest therein in a horizontal position. The fol' lower and picker are elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2 bypulling on the cord c-,which latter is then released and the follower, actuated by gravity, falls to the bottom of the casing. In falling the picker-lingers are caused to engage a match, the impact due to the weight of the follower causing the article to wedge between the fingers, and upon pulling the cord the follower and the picker with the contained match are elevated. The picker normally assum es a vertical position with its earn-shapedend c3 projecting inwardly to a slight extent. Then near the upward limit of its movement, said end c3 comes into en- IOO gegement With'thc trip fend is moved downward hy theletter, the other nietchfholding end of the pickerheing elevated and brought without thefcesing through its opening cc, es shown in Fie'. 2. drawn from the picker by hand, and on rel leasing thecord the follower and picker are Y Y allowed to descend toengege anotherertiele. VLAt the beginning ofthe downward movement of the picker the trip f comesV *into Contact Withthe end o3 endrestoresthe picker to its normal or vertical position.. The 'hoppenV Y shaped bottoni of the compartment, together Withrthe employment of the depression and recess, insures the delivery of a, match 'reT gardless ofthe number contained in the box or sete, yase, match yis thus always in vproper' VVposition untilthe box or safe is exhzmsted.y

Y The cord attached to the follower when the follower delivers oy match mey'he drawn to one side intoey narrow slot and will hold the follower until the match is fullyrdelivered, and theyv then he drawn beck, so as to rallow the follower and thepickertodeseen d for enother match, asebove described.V

, I claim as my invention y f Y l. A match box or safe comprising a easing yhtwing e compartment for the articles to he delivered, e grevitvfollower vertioftll;`1 mov-y ehle in seidLV compartment and kcftrrying a. picker adapted to engage the articles singly,

. ineens for tripping the picker etthe limit of The match yis then With-V its upward movement to project the match' from the easing, and means operatedr hyhend for imparting said upward movement, suhstantielly es' described. Y

'2.k A match box or safe comprising e' casing f picker, and ineens for elevating the follower enclfpicker, operatedr by hand, substantially es described. Y Y Y 3. Ameteh box or safe comprising a. easing :having a deliver 7'-slot, a 'com pertinent' for the f' articles to he'delivered having e hoppenhottom provided withy the depression and recess kdescribed,l a grevityf'follower Within the oompartment, e picker pivotelly secured to seid followerhaving spring'piekerengers at one i tilting end restoringthe picker, and a, hend Y end and a cern-shaped opposite end, trips'for operated cord yfor elevetingth'e yfollower andV Y picker, substantially as described.

In; testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.V 'f Y BERNARD W. KARST.

- Nitnessesr 'f 'f HENRY B. SAYLER, JoHN M. SAYLER. 

